Method for timing a sports competition in different sites
A timing method for a sports competition at the same time on different sites ( 4 ) around the world. In a first phase, all time bases of the timing devices, of a start coordinator device ( 3 ) and of each site are synchronised. Next, a measurement of the transmission times between the start coordinator device and each site is performed to determine a maximum transmission time. The start coordinator device establishes a start time equal to the time of the date of each site and while adding a time difference longer than the determined maximum transmission time. The start time is adapted to each site where the competition takes place to automatically order, by each timing device, the start of the competition at the same time on each site and on the base site of the start coordinator device to have a sports competition taking place live on all competition sites.
1. A method comprising:
controlling, through a telecommunication network, a first time base, of a first timing device at a first site, and a second time base, of a second timing device at a second site, to synchronize based on at least one of global positioning system (GPS) signals, a network time protocol (NTP), and a precision time protocol (PTP),
determining a maximum transmission time based on measuring a first signal transmission time, over the telecommunication network from the first time base to a start coordinator device, and based on measuring a second signal transmission time over the telecommunication network from the second time base to the start coordinator device;
determining a start time of the competition;
determining, after determining the start time of the competition, a time at which to indicate a start of the competition based on the maximum transmission time; and
controlling, through the telecommunication network and from the start coordinator device, a first display at the first site and a second display at the second site to indicate the start of the competition at the time.
2. The timing method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the maximum transmission time is further based on successively measuring the first signal transmission time and the second signal transmission times multiple times.
3. The timing method according to claim 2 , wherein determining the maximum transmission time is further based on successively measuring the first signal transmission time and the second signal transmission times multiple times and at least once per second.
4. The timing method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the time at which to indicate the start of the competition is further based on adding additional time to the maximum transmission time and determining the additional time by doubling the maximum transmission time.
5. The timing method according to claim 4 , wherein the maximum transmission time is determined based on adding the first signal transmission time to the second signal transmission time.
6. The timing method according to claim 1 , wherein the start coordinator device controls an output of an audible imminent start indication.
7. The timing method according to claim 6 , wherein the audible imminent start indication is pre-stored at each of the first site and the second site.
8. The timing method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining not to control the first display at the first site and the second display at the second site to indicate the start of the competition at the time based on determining that at least one of the first site and the second site did not acknowledge the start time of the competition.
9. The timing method according to claim 1 , wherein the start coordinator device controls, through the telecommunication network, the first time base and the second time base to synchronize based on the at least one of the global positioning system (GPS) signals, the network time protocol (NTP), and the precision time protocol (PTP).
10. The timing method according to claim 1 , wherein the start coordinator device controls, as a cloud-based computer service through the telecommunication network, the first time base and the second time base to synchronize based on the at least one of the GPS, the NTP, and the PTP.
11. The timing method according to claim 1 , wherein the time differs from the start time by a tenth of a second or less.
12. The timing method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the maximum transmission time comprises measuring variations in at least one of the first signal transmission time and the second signal transmission time.
13. A system configured to implement the method according to claim 1 , the system comprising a remote operation center, the start coordinator device, the first timing device, and the second timing device.
14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the remote operation center is configured to control a display to display results of the race.
15. The system according to claim 14 , the remote operation center comprises the start coordinator device.
16. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the start coordinator device controls, as a cloud-based computer service through the telecommunication network, the first time base and the second time base to synchronize based on the at least one of the GPS signals, the NTP, and the PTP.
17. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the start coordinator device is configured to determine the maximum transmission time based on successively measuring the first signal transmission time and the second signal transmission times multiple times.